9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Get More Retweets on Twitter: Report

Amplifying your content means that you need to either pay for it or earn it. Buying online attention means investing in a Google AdWords campaign, buying an email list or implementing some Facebook advertising. This can be done fast if you have the funds allocated. They are the catalysts to accelerating your marketing campaigns.

Earning attention to get your content shared takes time. You need to build the email list, grow your Twitter followers and acquire more Facebook fans. This requires a variety of tactics and some expertise. It will also take patience and persistence and creating the best content you can. It also can be slow and tedious. But if your funds are limited then you have to go out and earn that attention.

Retweets are important

Part of the content amplification process is getting retweets on Twitter. It feels like RT’s have been with us forever but they were only introduced by Twitter in November 2009. That’s barely 4 years ago.

This produced some surprising insights about how to get more retweets. It revealed the importance of pictures, time of day and even using capital letters.

What are some of the Retweet surprises?

Some of these are significant. If you are into optimizing your Twitter tactics then maybe its worth taking notes. It comes down to time versus effort.

Here are 9 ways to get more retweets on Twitter that you may want to weave into your social media marketing habits.

#1. Tweet on Sundays

The difference between Sunday and worst day is quite small with Sunday getting on average 0.168 retweets vs the worst day at 0.15 Retweets.

#2. Tweet between 10pm and 11pm

This is not what you would call “earth shattering”. But it also reveals that tweeting at between 3 and 4am is the least effective.

#3. Use more hashtags

Hashtags are often underrated and 5 hashtags is a good number according to this report. Five hashtags gets an average of 0.301 retweets vs 0.116 retweets with no hashtag. That is nearly a 300% improvement.

I am just wondering though how you could implement 11 hashtags!

#4. Position your link 90% of the way through the tweeet

Now this I find interesting. I have generally added the link towards the end and this confirms my suspicions regarding impact. Positioning a link 90% of the way through the tweets is most effective at an average of 0.2 retweets.

#5. Use pictures on Twitter

Now here comes the visual part. Using a picture means that you receive 0.404 retweets vs 0.133 retweets when you don’t use a picture. This shows the significant importance of visuals even on Twitter.

#6. Implement Twitter picture previews when tweeting

The introduction of Twitter picture previews (that mean you see the image without having to click) has added significant impact to retweets. It means that there is about 25% improvement to retweets.

#7. Use “Retweet” not “RT”

The significance of using the full word “Retweet” instead of just “RT” is evident here. Nearly 2.5 retweets happen when using the full word vs only 0.17 when using the shortened version. That is an increase of nearly 1500%!!

I suppose it shows that using acronyms is a poor use of language.

#8. Use exclamation marks when tweeting

Now I am not a big user of exclamation marks on Twitter but after this revelation maybe I better!! Nine exclamation marks produces an average of 0.484 retweets vs 0.15 for none!!!!!!!!!

#9. Use UPPERCASE on Twitter

Using uppercase has been missing from my Twitter tactics toolbox but after this report insight maybe I need to add it in. The increase in retweets is almost 550% when Tweeting all in Uppercase vs just using it 0.1% of the time.

How about you?

What did you find most revealing about this report? Are you using any of these tactics. Have you found them effective?

Look forward to your insights and stories in the comments below.

Want to learn how to use Twitter to maximum effect to market your blog?

It is now available to download. I show you how to create and build a blog that rocks and grow tribes, fans and followers on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook. It also includes dozens of tips to create contagious content that begs to be shared and tempts people to link to your website and blog.

I also reveal the tactics I used to grow my Twitter followers to over 200,000.

Some interesting stats there, some I had heard of others I hadn’t. Very surprised about the exclamation mark stat. Interesting!!!!!! In the end, content is still pretty important. If you do all the things suggested by these stats but you are still talking rubbish, perhaps those factors won’t help at all.

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

Content is your credibility foundation and the better the content and the more fanatical the tribe then the more retweets!!!!

Tweeting on select timings definitely improve your retweets and visitor counts..
And most importantly you can create awareness about your blog and your latest post..

Thanks Jeff for sharing this with everyone (Including me)..:)

http://www.kingged.com/ Kingsley

Hmmm, these really look like simple ways to get more retweets on Twitter, but are they really powerful in the sense that – do they really work?

I guess the only way to find out is to try implementing some of them,

Helen Warburton

Some really interesting points Jeff – I particularly like the one about the link position. This is a common discussion in our business, not just for Twitter but also for Facebook, which seems to be a completely different matter. I tried to pin your blog to pinterest but it isnt picking up your image? Thanks

Sue Neal

Fascinating tips – thanks very much for this, will definitely try implementing some of these. Cheers

Clayton Collins

That’s some great research. I like the chart on times and what you put. I would be curious if there was a report out there that gave times on when most people showed an interaction on their tweet such as a real reply or retweet (yes, i will now spell this word out forever)

Baby Herman

Jeff, GREAT POST. Thank you for always giving great tips!!!!!!!!

Maria Joyner

I would be interested in seeing a followup experiment that views different data points, particularly with #8 and #9. Did tweeting with 9 exclamation marks or in all uppercase affect unfollows/follows? What type of content was being tweeted? And who was the audience? If a club or music promoter tweets with exclamation marks and in all caps, is that more “acceptable” than an insurance company tweeting in that manner? Getting more retweets is great as long as the methods don’t impact sentiment around your brand.

http://www.inspiration.co.uk Ash Mashhadi (@inspirationguy)

Whilst I’m not disputing the stats (never argue with the numbers!) I’ve found in practice that 3 hashtags is the most I’d recommend using (and even that’s pushing it sometimes). Five hashtags in a tweet runs the risk of looking spammy. IMHO.

I’d also caution against the use of too many uppercase words. We wouldn’t want to open the floodgates to all those shouty tweets that used to appear on twitter. I’ve used uppercase quite effectively in the past (never throught the tweet of course!), but if you do it too often, you could appear to be brash. Nobody likes being shouted at, after all.

Love the post as a whole though, tons of useful stuff – as is usual for you, Jeff.

Jaclyn Paul

Definitely agree on the hashtags! Hashtags are what make Twitter useful for me, so I tend to bristle when someone has clearly just tacked on a bunch of hashtags to give their tweet visibility. At most, I would say the average tweet would not exceed three *relevant* hashtags.

http://joomalex.com/ Alex Smirnov

SORRY BUT #9 ON UPPERCASE DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME!!!!!!!!! TWITTING IN UPPERCASE ALL THE TIME? WHO WOULD LIKE IT, HONESTLY!!!!!!!!!

treb072410

Yeah! I agree with you @alexsmirnov:disqus.. All of the other post seems to be legit, but twitting in UPPERCASE??? I think it is annoying…

http://joomalex.com/ Alex Smirnov

I guess it might be more or less OK to tweet all in capitals and with five exlamaton marks if your whole Twitter networks is about marketing, where about everyone shouts, you know, like in a flea market. But then again, – what kind of social network would that be?

treb072410

I agree Alex!..

http://gigieatscelebrities.com/ GiGi Eats Celebrities

Ah ha ha! I couldn’t agree more with you – I would abhor it and probably unfollow the person!

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

Yes, the uppercase revelation is rather daunting!!!.

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

I think the answer is an “either” “or” solution

denysedd

Just when I thought you’d offered us the formula Jeff! You now want us to think, take decisions, make choices?!

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

I didn’t say it was easy!

denysedd

Jeff, I’m already managing to make things difficult on my own, I look to YOU to make them easier!

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

Thanks Graham

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

A great question. A lot of tweeters think local whereas 40% of my readers are from the USA. That is why my tweets run 24/7 to reach a global audience.

Mariah Gillespie

Thanks! So basically, I need to really know who I’m talking to I was a Sdyney girl for almost 4 years…I miss it! We (@supercamp) has a global audience (including a camp in Melb) but most are US-based, so I’ll probably stick to US time zones. Thanks again!

Tricia Coniglio

I am new to the twitter community and I am learning SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the info

I’m always amused when I read that it’s best to tweet between, say, 10pm and 11pm and to avoid 3 and 4am. Bearing in mind that we live on a globe, when it is 10pm in one place it will be 3am somewhere else. So, unless it is made clear that this advice applies only to those people who are trying to promote a local, bricks & mortar business, it makes no sense at all.

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

I agree Ruth. I treat Twitter as a Global platform!

Dede Frederick

I’m just somewhat skeptical about the 5
hashtags and the uppercase, Don’t want to come off as if I’m shouting. But then
again the number don’t lie.

Wow! I had to keep reading your intro because I thought this was one of those backwards articles. Super revealing. I’m with you with regards to ALL CAPS!!!!!!!! I guess Tweeters want to hear EXCITEMENT and words spelled out (RETWEET). 5 hashtags huh? I just a report where it revealed Instagram’s sweet spot is 7. Great insights thank you Jeff. Now watch me share this!!!!!!!!!

I always thought it was a 24 hour world, but what’s is the etiquette on auto-tweeting; which plugin/app should I use?

http://jeffbullas.com Jeff Bullas

Try Socialoomph professional. Auto tweeting is fine as long as it is great content

Miloš Milosavljević

#4. Position your link 90% of the way through the tweeet
Why is this surprising. You are more likely to click on a link if you have the context first.

I don’t trust the uppercase tactic. We would also have to know the variables in the report being quoted. Over 1,423 Twitter accounts and 1.7 million tweets, that’s not much of a sample, actually. And no data on geo and demographics….

Doza Beatz

this was a very informative read.. i got a lot of knowledge from this post http:/www.alldoza.net

thx
DOZA

http://www.avenaim.com Jerry Avenaim

I agree Alex, there is no way I would use uppercase. I find it way to annoying!!!!